May 25 2016

Burlington's Memorial Day Ceremony Program

By: BNEWS

Join fellow members of the Burlington community, town officials, public safety officers and veterans to honor those men and women of the armed services who gave their lives in the defense of our country.

Burlington's 2016 Memorial Day ceremonies, Hosted by the Town of Burlington’s Veteran Service Office & the Allied Veterans Council, will take place on Monday, May 30. The first ceremony will begin at 8 a.m. on the Town Common at the flag poles across the street from the fire station.

The longer ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. at Chestnut Hill Cemetery.

The guest speaker this year will be Coleman Nee, CEO of Triangle, Inc., a Malden-based Non Profit that empowers people with disabilities and their families to enjoy rich, fulfilling lives, the event program reads.

Nee, a Boston native, served as Massachusetts Secretary of Veterans’ Services from 2010 to 2015 and as Undersecretary from 2007 to 2010. He has over 20 years governmental, not-for-profit and private-sector management experience.

As Secretary, he oversaw a number of new initiatives to increase access to services available for veterans, including the Statewide Advocacy for Veterans’ Empowerment (SAVE) program, a first-in-the-nation initiative to support veterans and their families coping with the stresses of returning from war and assist them in obtaining veterans benefits and services. Nee also directed the team that successfully competed for over $3 million in federal workforce development funds to train and place veterans in employment, and led new outreach efforts to homeless veterans and families, the Women’s Veterans Network, and disabled veterans.

Nee is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and was deployed to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait for Operation Desert Storm in 1991.

The ceremony will also feature music from the Burlington High School Marching Band, an invocation from Father Jiwon Yoon of St. Margaret’s Parish, words from Selectmen Chair Dan Grattan and remarks by Burlington Director of Veterans Service Chris Hanafin.